Minister of State
Responsibilities
Current role holder
Lord Coaker
Lord Coaker was appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence on 21 July 2026.
Lord Coaker joined the Ministry of Defence in July 2024 as a Minister of State responsible for international relations, diplomacy, and House of Lords parliamentary business. Additional portfolio responsibilities include security and resilience, health and safety, and honours and awards.
Previously, Lord Coaker served as Minister for Policing, Crime, and Security (2008-09), and for Schools and Learning (2009-10), as well as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence (2013-15) and Northern Ireland (2011-13; 2015-16), before he joined the House of Lords as a Life Peer in 2021.
Lord Coaker studied Politics at the University of Warwick before obtaining his teaching qualification at Trent Polytechnic. He worked as a teacher in various schools (1976-1997) before being elected as a Member of Parliament in 1997.
Lord Coaker splits his time between Westminster and the family home in Nottinghamshire.